It is a trick that Carly Kirsch, who delivered two children in three years, wished she could have pulled off. "The weight didn't come off as quickly as I hoped," the Cheshire resident said. "I tried low calorie diets, exercising more -- everything under the sun."

A lot of celebrity moms magically morph into their pre-baby shape within weeks of leaving the hospital, she added, "but for most women, it's not realistic."

Indeed, it takes most women six to nine months to shed the excess poundage put on during their pregnancies -- a fact they need to keep in mind, even as they're bombarded by images of strikingly svelte, postpartum stars, experts said.

Kirsch, owner of Newly Nested, a Connecticut-based baby planning and consulting service, said celebrities such as Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Bethenny Frankel enjoy a "support system" -- a team of nannies, trainers and personal chefs -- that isn't available to the average child bearer.

"You have to take that into perspective," she said, adding that "it's more practical to lose the weight a little bit at a time."

New moms pack on an average of 25 to 30 extra pounds during their pregnancy, said Barbara Schmidt, nutrition and lifestyle specialist at Norwalk Hospital who heads the organization's Transformations weight-loss program. If they stick to a diet and exercise plan, they can safely lose 1.5 pounds per week.

But that's often easier said than done, Schmidt said. After all, new moms have enough to think about. So they must make it a point to treat themselves right, Schmidt said. She urged them to avoid "empty calories" from juice, soda, cookies and candy and stick to "healthy choices" such as skim milk, water, lean meats and vegetables.

"You want to make sure to eat a well-balanced diet and, over time, you'll start to see the difference," she added.

Another important weight loss tactic will come a little more naturally. According to Kari Gravitz, a registered dietitian at Albany (N.Y.) Memorial Hospital, pregnant women store fat during their last trimester that is "meant specifically for the purpose of breast-feeding."

"While you breast-feed, you lose this fat," she said, adding that the activity burns about 500 calories a day.

Of course, dieting and breast-feeding aren't enough to get back into those pre-pregnancy jeans -- new moms need exercise, too. And though they might not have a team of personal trainers backing them up, there are plenty of ways to stay active, said Linda Antignani, owner of Mother's Embrace Yoga Studio in Shelton.

At her studio, Antignani offers Postnatal Pilates Workshop, Zumba for New Moms and Mommy's Time Infant Support Group -- classes designed to "burn calories and get the metabolism working," she said. If they don't have the time to take a class, new moms can always push a stroller or strap on a baby carrier and go for a walk.

"I encourage everybody to be as active as they possibly can," said Antignani, a mother of three. "It can be frustrating trying to lose the baby weight, but once you start exercising, it will make you feel a lot better."

New moms also will feel better when they keep their weight loss expectations in check, experts said. Depending on their weight, activity level and rate of metabolism, it can take six to nine months for the scale to go back to the way it was. The average woman packs on 25 to 30 extra pounds -- sometimes more -- during gestation.

"We usually say that if it took nine months to put the weight on, it's going to take nine months to take it off," Gravitz said.

Moreover, jumping into a strict diet or demanding exercise plan post-pregnancy isn't usually the best way -- after all, new moms need time to heal and adjust to their new role as parents.

So, when images of postpartum personalities pop up on television with their bikini bodies weeks after giving birth, new moms needn't agonize over how they did it. Perhaps, it's best left a mystery. "People don't know how to talk about it or where to begin, and the media doesn't help," Kirsch said of the pressure put on women to reclaim their pre-pregnancy bodies. "It's better to be honest with yourself and just as important, realistic."

Baby Weight Loss Timetable -- After getting the ago ahead from the doctor, new moms can start dieting and exercising (typically six weeks after giving birth, experts said). Here's how new moms should shape up month to month.

First 6 weeks -- Dieting and exercise may not be recommended. Consult your doctor.

At 2 Months -- 3 pounds

At 3 Months -- 9 pounds

At 4 Months -- 15 pounds

At 5 Months -- 21 pounds

At 6 Months -- 27 pounds (A postpartum woman should have returned to her pre-pregnancy weight by this time, but may need to continue a weight loss plan if she gained more than 25 to 30 pounds during gestation).